[Big Stev3]

Hi All,

I purchased my seed potatoes, onion and garlic sets today.
But I have know realised I need to store them somewhere, where is the best place to store them?

Kind Regards

Steve

[sunshineband]

Potatoes in a light cool frost free place.

Onions and garlic in the dark: cool & frost free

[gavinjconway]

Thanks sunny - confirm the dark loft is bad for the spuds.. I want to store mine for a few weeks before chitting starts..

[Kristen]

I don't think you will be able to stop them chitting unless you put them in the fridge, thus i think better to put them somewhere light, cool, but frost free.

[Ice]

I don't think you will be able to stop them chitting unless you put them in the fridge, thus i think better to put them somewhere light, cool, but frost free.

Which is just what sunny said.

[Kristen]

Sorry, I'm not seeing your earlier post in this thread for some reason?

[mumofstig]

I think Ice was referring to this post, kristen ...........

Potatoes in a light cool frost free place.

Onions and garlic in the dark: cool & frost free

[Ice]

I've edited my post, a word was left out.

[Kristen]

OK, makes more sense now!

I was replying to gavinjconway's point about wanting to store before chitting, that in order to prevent chitting I think it would be necessary to put the spuds in a fridge (and hence better to let them chit anyway, in the way described earlier)

[arugula]

If I have seed potatoes in my possession before chitting time, typically end of January into February, I keep them in a cool dark place, until I am ready to start the chitting process at which time they are transferred to a cool light place such as eggboxes.

[Kristen]

Will they not chit anyway?  I'm curious on that point as I store my spuds (for eating) in a cool dark place - its in the utility corridor, unheated, and distinctly cold, but they sprout anyway.

[arugula]

I have had to do this on more than one occasion here, and I have had no problem. They are stored in a cardboard box inside a dark cupboard in a cool place and they only start sprouting chits when introduced to the daylight. In fact, I have them in this position right now, waiting for the end of January, at least, before chitting is started.

[Kristen]

Useful to know, thanks. My seed potatoes are due soon, and there is risk that putting them in the unheated conservatory, to chit, might subject them to sub-zero temperatures - particularly if we get -16C like we did around the 10th of February last year

[gavinjconway]

If they start chitting too early you can just rub them off and start again.. no probs at all..

[Kristen]

If they start chitting too early you can just rub them off and start again.. no probs at all..

I'm probably over thinking it, as usual, but it seems to me that doing that wastes some "energy" for the tuber, and also takes time for the new eye to form and sprout.

I do rub some eyes out (often not until planting) if I think too many have developed.